High-speed between-the-lens photographic shutter



Jan. 6, 1942. 2,269,400

HIGHSPEED BETWEEN-THE-LENS PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER O. STEINER Filed Nov. 30, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 7 4 3 I? 2. a a l h t I sa w F i. n 3 a m 6 3 W Jan. 6, 1942. 0 ER 2,269,400

HIGH-SPEED BETWEEN-THE-LENS PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER Filed Nov. 30, 1940 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 .6. Fig I 48 ,5 I 3"- 5 49 5 Jm; 5E

3 E 8 2a i "III/III! INVENTOR. 7.9 0ccar Steiner.

0. STEINER Jan, 6, 1942.

HIGH-SPEED BETWEEN-THE-LE NS"PHOTOGRAPHIG SHUTTER Filed Nov. 50, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 08m 3* zS'Ze 2124 2 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 new \ HIGH-SPEED BETWEEN-THE-LENS PHOTO- GRAPHIC SHUTTER Oscar Steiner, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to The Folmcr Graflex Corporation, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November- 30, 1940, Serial No. 368,011 23 Claims.- (oi. 95-63) This invention relates to high speed shutters of the between-the-lens type.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a high speed shutter of the between-the-lenstype, showing the position of the shutter setting lever and shutter release lever, the shutter being shown as in the cooked or set position for instantaneou exposure;

the accompanying Fig. 2 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1,

the parts being in'th'e same position, but with the shutter setting ring or plat removed, to

show the operating parts of the release lever; A

Fig. 3 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1, but with the shutter setting ring or plate and the shutter leaf supporting plate removed, th shutter leaves being shown in their position at the commencement of an instantaneous exposure;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 3, but with th shutter released by the shutter release lever, the shutter leai. operating means having been moved in a contraclockwise direction and the leaves having reache a fully-opened l position;

5 is a sectional transverse detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the leaf-operating ring, having the leaf cams and the notches in th periphery of the operating ring for controlling the same while making an exposure;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional detail on the line |1 of Fig. 3, showing the means for driving the shutter leaf operating ring;

7 Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional detail on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3,'showing the relative location of the shutter leaf operating ring and the actuating ring tension plate;

Fig-9 is a plan viewshowing the shutter actuating ring tensioning plate with its driving d s;

Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical sectional detail on the line l0l. 01 Fig. 1, showing the position and construction of the shutter operating means,

ating ring, the shutter actuating ring tensioning plate. and the shutter tension ring; v

Fig. 12 is a partial plan view showing the shutter set for time exposure, it being in a cocked or set condition prior o release;

Fig. 13 isa pa ial planviewsimilar to'Fig. 1 5 2 intheonpos tedirection.

- shutter leaves.

but showing the shutter release lever depressed. allowing the shutter leaves to be opened for commencement of a time exposure; and

Fig. 14 is a partial plan view similar to Fig. 12, but showing the shutter release lever released after the first downward stroke, the shutter leaves being still in the open position prior to a second downward movement of the shutter release lever at the completion of a time exposure, to allow the shutter leaves to be closed.

In the drawings, there is shown a high speed shutter of the between-the-lens type that, while particularly adaptedto be used in cooperation or conjunction with a grid shutter disclosed in my application filed simultaneously herewith, Ser. No. 368,394, is also capable of independent use as an entirety in many different ypes of cameras. -The betwe'en-the-lens shutter about to.be described is of very highspeed which is at least .twice that of a conventional between-the-lens shutter of equal size; such high speed has been secured by avoiding all reciprocating or to and fro movement of any of the parts of th shutter during an exposure, except, of course, the reciprocating opening and closing movements of the The said hetween-the-lens shutter is provided with an operating or cam ring traveling in one direction only, the cam construction thereof being such as to allow the said;opcrating ring to travel a considerable: distance 'after release befor the shutter leaves themselves are operated. The structure of the parts is such that the operating or cam ring can be stopped when the shutterleaves are in open position and .th ring. then be released to caus the ishutter leaves to close. .Moreover, selective means are provided to control the leaf operating or cam .ring, so as to obtain different conditions of operation, thus permitting the shutter to be used asan instantaneous, a bulb or a time shutter. 7, Inasmuch as only a small portion of; the travel .of the shutter or leaf operating ringis utilized for actually making the exposure, a very rapid opening .and closing of thGLShIIttQF-"OCOUIS; in contrast to the. action in usual shutterswherein the leaves start to open as soonas the operating .or cam ring startsto move. Insuch priorcases the operating or cam ring travels .with the shut- ,ter leaves until the shutter is fully opened and then must be stopped and moved in the opposite direction, .The maximum speed of such a shutter is therefore necessarily limited because of the time that must elapse to set the parts in motion, to stop them and again to set them in motion shutter is to control theleaf-opera'ting orcam ring 41 during exposure. The said levers, 60

. Fig. 3, has a duplex crank formation with opposite operating pins 13, 14. The'said release lever 30 is caused to be moved in a clockwise direction under the influence of a spring 15, one end of which bears against the pin 14 and the other end against the shutter housing 34.

As shown in the several figures, to each of the shutter leaves 32 is attached an actuating pin 16 which pins ride in the concentric paths 43 and the cam paths 50 of the said leaf operating or cam ring 41. In Fig. 3, the said ring tension plate 43 has been shown as turned in a clockwise direction by means of the shutter setting or resetting lever 28 and its knob 23 until its further movement is stopped by the shutter housing 34. The said setting or resetting lever 2| moves in a slot 34a in the said shutter housing 34, and as the said lever 28 is moved in a clockwise direction, the

leaf-operating or cam ring 41 is held from turning in a clockwise direction by reason of thedog 530i the instantaneous release lever 5| engaginga notch 51, and as the said shutter actuating ring tensioning plate or member 43 is tumed'in a clockwise direction carrying with it the spring dog member 46, the latter engages one of the openings 48 of the said cam ring 41, when the shutter setting or resetting lever 28 reaches the end or is near the end of its travel. The shutter is now in the set condition, and for the purpose of explanation of an instantaneous exposure cycle, it will be assumed that only the instantaneous release lever 56 is provided for functioning, the

' other levers being held out of action by means to be described.

When the knob 31 of the shutter release lever 30' is turned in a contraclockwise direction view- 1 ing Fig. 3, the said lever is caused to rock about the screw 12 as an axis and against the tension of the spring 15 until the .pin 13 engages the finger 59 of the said instantaneous releaselever 56. A further movement of said shutter release lever 3!), viewing Fig. 3, will cause the dog 58 of the instantaneous release lever 56 tobe disengaged from its slot 5| of the leaf-operating or cam ring 41, which is now free to move, and inasmuch as the shutter actuating ring tensioning plate or member 43 is locked to the leaf-operating or can ring 41 by the dog 46, thesaid'ring 41 willnow be driven in'a contraclockwise direction by the spring 53. As the said cam ring 41 is turned in a contraclockwise direction, the said pins 16 of the several shutter leaves 32 ride in the concentric parts 43 of the said cam ring 41, and said pins 16 are then engaged by the cam shaped paths or formations in the said leaf-operating or cam ring 41. In so doing, the said pins 16 of the several shutter leaves ride up (that is, radially outward) the cam paths or formations 50. thus said shutter leaves will then be positioned as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The said cam ring 41 will have then turned one fifth of a revolution, or '12 degrees, and will again appear as shown in Fig. 3, and the said leafoperating or cam ring 41 will be engaged by the dog 58 of the instantaneous release lever IS. The shutter setting or resetting lever 2| will have been moved in a contraclockwise direction until stopped by one end of the slot 34a in the shutter housing 34 and the shutter setting knob 2| will be in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The cycle just described is for so-called instantaneous exposure and does not refer to the use of the time lever 60 or the bulb lever II, inasmuch as when making an instantaneous exposure the said two levers are held out of action by the cam plate or cam formation 11, shownin Fig. 1, as having a cut-away central portion 1|. The said cam plate or formation 11 is attached to the shutter setting ring or plate 2|,and is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, wherein the pin 63 of the said lever '60 is held out of action by said cam plate or formation 11 and the said bulb 'lever is held out of action by the pin 1|.

posure, it is necessary to return the shutter setting or resetting lever 2| in a clockwise direction until stopped by the end of the slot 344, which will allow the dog 46 to engage a new opening 48 in the leaf-operating or cam ring 41.

Again referring to- Fig. 3, wherein the shutter is shown as in a set condition ready to make an exposure, and the shutter setting ring or plate 2| is in position for a bulb exposure, itwill be observed that the release lever 8| is held out of agsion by reason of the pin engaging the cam plate or formation 11. A downward or contraclockwise pressure on the knob ll of the shutter release lever "will cause such lever to rock on swinging the said several shutter leaves 32 in a-' the screw 12 as an axis, carrying with it the pin 13, which will engage the finger 5| of the instantaneous release lever 58, withdrawing the dog 58 from its notch SI of the leaf-operating or cam ring 41, which will now be caused to turn in a contraclockwise direction in the manner previously described. i

As the said shutter release lever 2| is pressed downwardly or contraclockwise, viewing Fig. 3, the pin 14 is caused to turn about the screw 12 as an axis in a ontraclockwise direction, moving away from the finger 6| of the said bulb .action lever 66, allowing the dog 68 thereof to ride along the face of the leaf-operating or cam ring 41, being held thereto under the influence of the spring 1|. Said dog 6| is of such size that it cannot engage any notch 52. The said cam ring 41 after having been released, will be stopp d when the proper notch 5| thereof reaches and is engaged by the dog 6| of the bulb action lever N. The shutter will now be in the condition or position of parts shown in Fig. 13, the shutter leaves beirig'fully opened. a i

when pressure on the shutter release lever 3| is removed, the said shutter lever will be caused to turn in a clockwise direction about the screw,

12 under the influence of spring 15, and the pin action lever 66, withdrawing its dog it from the notch il of the leaf-operating or cam ring 41, thus allowing the said cam ring 41 to complete its cycle, at. which time the shutter setting orresetting lever 2! is returned to its position shown in dotted lines mm. 4 and the shutter will then.

bein closedposition. v

The leaf-operating or cam ring 41 will be in I the position shown i s-l 3, having been turned set in the position shown inf-lg. 12, the cam plate or formation II .will be moved to the position shown in Figs. 12 and 13, thus allowing the pin 03 of the release lever I and the pin ll of the bulb action lever 88 to drop into the relieved or cutaway-portion n of the cam plate 1:.

Again referring to Fig. 3, wherein the shutter is shown in a cocked or set condition, it will be assumed that the shutter release lever 30 is Dressed downward or in a contraclockwise direc-' eaalthoiish Specific termsare employed. they'are tion, causing the pins I3 and It to turn about the screw. 12, where pon the pin 13 will 1 888 the linger ll of the instantaneous release-lever it. and also the'iinger I! of the release lever GO. and a further movement will, cause both said levers to be rotated in a clockwise direction about 30 the screw I, thus withdrawing the dog II from thenotchil. Theieai-opei'atingorcami'ingll willnowstarttomoveinacontraclockwise direction. and as the shutter release lever 30 is-moved downwardly, the bulb action lever 86 will-be allowedto'moveina'clockwise directionuntilthe dogflthereoiisineontactwiththeouteredse ,oriaceoitheleai-operatingorcamringltand assaidringcontinuestohmanotchllthereol willbe cnaaged leaves I) reachtheir iuliyopen position, thatis tosay,whenthepins'ltthereoireachthehighestorturthest-outradialpositlonoitheseveral nowbeinthepositionshowninl'ig.l3,withthe l a -operatingorcamflngl'lheldbythedogtl ensasing a notch II; As th shutter release lever'flds'releasemthepins "and II willbe turned in a clockwise direction about thescrew 12, allowing the instantaneous release lever It be the. leaf-o peratingorcam-ring 41 inthe'positionshowninl'fig.14,1:eingh'eldi'1'ornfurther rotation by'the'dog 0|. Asecond downward prmsureonthesaidshutterreleasele'verilwili engaged, thuscauslng the lever CI to turn about the pin I1 in aciockwise direction, withdrawing the dog II from its notch l2 and allowing the lean-operating or 'cam ring 41 to complete its cycle in a contraclockwise direction. The shutousiydescribedandthe'saidcamringtlwill have traveled in a clockwise direction until it is tcpn ibyanedgeoi'theslotllointheshutter- V v 5 7s formations while theexpcsureisbeingmade.

housins It.

usethepinlitotln'naboutthescrewliin'auntil the finger I is 2,289,400 14 will then engage the finger 6! of the bulb In this action a notch 5| of the said leaf-operating'or cam ring 41 will have moved one iiith of a revolution, that is, 72 degrees, and a new notch 5| will be engaged by-the dog" of the instantaneous releaselever 60, thus holding the shutter in closed position until a second exposure is'made.

The iris diaphragm oi the shutter employed is not shown since it forms no part 01' the present invention. Making reference to Figs. 9 to '11, it

. will be evident that suihcient space is provided between the inner shutter support plate 31 and the housing "to receive or enclose such a diaphragm. The shutter housing is provided with 5. the usual threaded cylindrical bushing I! for attaching the rear-lens cell and the usual lens mounting flange.-

While in the drawings no means is shown for obtaining anything except one instantaneous 2o speed, I provide,jwithin the scope of my inven- .tion, for making slow shutter speeds and retarded instantaneous speeds.

- Having thus" described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that used in a generic and descriptive sense and not tor purposes .oi limitation, the scope or the inventirgi-being set iorth in the following claims.

having a series of leaves movable reciprocatingiy to and iro to complete a single opening-andclosing act, a camring having a continuous cam path-including a series of spaced cam formations,

means operatively connecting said leaves to said by the dog is when u sh tter 40 one direction only to'ieiiectby said. cam iormaleaves, said last mentioned means being opera- -tiv'elyc0nnectedtosaideamflngtoturnit y steps in said one directicnponly, but at eachsuch. turning movement to turn it only to the extent oi such part 01' a complete rotation of aaid cam ring as. is necessary tocause the said shutter leaves to open and then to close in a single, complete, to and fro movement.

o as combination according to claim Lin whichthecamringisprovidedwithaserieaoi substantially inverted U shaped cam formations toimpartthesaidoneninsandclcsingmovements to said leaves, andsubstantially cam formations.

3. A combination according to claim 1. 'in

shaped pathway wherein said operating pins e received. '4. A shutter structure according to claim 1. but

wherein the number'oi such steps to complete one revolutionof said can: ring is number or leaves 0! the shut 5. Ashutter structure according to claim. l, but wherein said cam path has therein a series of cam formations equal to the number oi leaves with which the shutter is provided, and by which 70 cam. formations the said leaves are reciprocatincl! cpenedand closed.

6. A shutter structure according to claim l, butwhereinsaidcamringhasaseriesoispaced controlling formations and meansto engage said i. A between-the-lens shutter concentric pathways between and connected with said qual tothe in which said cam ring has one or more driving formations, and has driving means to engage the same to drive said cam ring in said one direction only, and has means to prevent rotation of said cam ring in the opposite direction.

9. A combination according to claim 1; but in which there is provided a detent engageable with said cam ring and also means is provided to disengage said detent from the cam ring to permit the start of an exposure cycle.

10. A combination according to claim 1, but in which the means to move the cam ring for operating the shutter leaves includes a shutter actuating ring tensioning plate'and a tensioning spring connected to said plate.

11. A shutter structure according 'to claim 1,

but wherein there is provided means to stop the operating movement of said cam ring when said leaves are fully open, for the purpose of bulb exposure. a

12. A shutter structure according to claim 1. but wherein there is provided a detent cooperatively positioned to stop the operating movement of said cam ring when said leaves are fully open, to permit bulb exposure.

13. A shutter structure according to claim 1, but wherein there is provided atimaexposure permitting. stop-detent to stop the operating movement of said cam ring when said leaves are fully'open.

14. A shutter structure according to claim 1. but wherein there is provided a tension ring provided with a spring dog for driving said cam ring in such one direction only, to operate the same.

15. A shutter structure according to claim 1, but wherein there is provided a tension ring for imparting turning movement to said cam ring in such one direction only, a spring to turn said tension ring in one direction for eflecting said turning movement of 'said cam ring, and handle means for "turning said tension ring in the opposite direction.

16. A shutterstructure according to claim 1. but wherein there is provided a tension ring adapted operatively to engage said cam ring to turn the same, a

tension spring connected to said in there is provided a the shutter leaf opening,

tension ring, and a plate having a formation to support said cam ring and said tension ring, and also having a formation to support said tension spring.

17. A shutter structure according to claim 1, but wherein a tension ring is provided having means to engage said cam ring, and thereby to turn the latter in one direction.

18. A shutter structure according to claim 1, but wherein a tension ring is provided having means to engage said cam ring to turn the latter. and a spring is provided to impart return movement to the said tension ring.

19. A structure according to claim 1, but

to engage said cam ring to turn the latter, and wherein said cam ring and said tension ring occupy a superposed relation to each other.

20. A structure according to claim 1, but

wherein there is provided a shutter actuating ring tension plate havinga spring dog member to engage said cam ring to turn the same, and spring means is provided to turn said tension plate.

21. A structure according toclaim 1, but wherein the said cam ring has a series of spaced formations, and wherein there is provided s. spring dog member and supporting means therefor to turn said cam ringin one direction only by engagement with said spaced formations.

22. A structure according to claim 1, but wherein the said cam ring is provided with I series of detent-receiving formations, and wherein there is provided a series of detents adapted respectively to engage said formations to control the shutter leaf opening, and wherein'there is also provided a shutter setting ring having a formation to engage and control the-functioning of said detents.

23. A structure according to claim 1, but wherein the said cam ring is provided with. a series of detent-receiving formations, and whereseries of detents adapted respectively to engage said formations in control and wherein there is also provided a shutter setting ring having a formation to engage and control the flinctioning of said detents, and

. detents includes a time lever II and a bulb lever IO, and the said formation on the shutter setting ringisacamplate II controllingthepositionot the said time and bulb levers. v

wherein a tension ring is provided having means.

Jan. 6, 1942. NER 2,269,401

LENS MOUNT FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS Original Filged Jan. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Invezmior: Oscai" 836 521362",

"I M32 f 

